Alleged former members of the CPP-NPA-NDF walk past various weapons and ammunition, as officers of the National Capital Region Police Office facilitate their surrender at Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig on Dec. 26, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) — Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, claims that recruitment of students into the communist armed movement is flourishing in the Marcos, Jr. administration after the Philippine National Police reported that 168 high school and university students have joined the armed struggle since 2014.

Activism is legal in the Philippines but Dela Rosa and the government’s anti-communist task force believe that these organizations are a pipeline for recruitment into the Communist Party of the Philippines and the NPA.

"Noong nag-imbestiga tayo nito medyo huminto sila sa pagre-receruit medyo kumalma medyo natakot. Ngayong nagbago ang administration para tila lumakas yung loob nila andiyan na naman sila nagre-recruit,” Dela Rosa said.

(When we investigated this, they stopped for a bit but they have become emboldened under the new administration) 

He said he is sure that Kabataan, a party-list organization with a seat at the House of Representatives, and unspecified “student organizations” have been recruiting among students and among workers.

READ: CHR hopes Palace body for workers will address EJK, red-tagging cases

KABATAAN'S MANUEL: DELA ROSA 'WASTING' SENATE SEAT BY RED-TAGGING

In a statement, Rep. Raoul Manuel of Kabataan party-list said he is not afraid to face the Senate’s public order committee but that he will not attend the hearings, citing a Supreme Court decision acknowledging the risk posed by red-tagging — the practice of accusing activists and human rights defenders of ties to the communist armed movement — and while Dela Rosa “wastes” his position at the Senate by engaging in red-tagging based on made-up testimony.

“[G]usto nating isulong ang kapakanan ng kabataan, at kasama rito ang paglutas sa mga ugat ng armed conflict sa bansa at sa matagal nang mga sakit ng lipunan sa makataong paraan,” he said.

(We want to champion the welfare of the youth, and that includes addressing the roots of armed conflict and social problems in a humane manner)

In a riposte to the senator whom he traded barbs with at a 2019 hearing on mandatory military training for students, Manuel added: “We remind the former PNP chief: standing ang imbitasyon sa kanya para pumunta sa Kamara at humarap sa pamilya ng mga biktima ng pinirmahan niyang memo para sa Oplan Tokhang.”

(There is a standing invitation for him to appear at the House and to face the families of the victims of the Oplan Tokhang that he signed)

During the hearing, Dela Rosa also reminded schools of their obligation as surrogate parents to their students.

“We turn over to you, to your jurisdiction the care and the future of our sons and daughters,” he said.

Dela Rosa also took a potshot at activists who send their children to private schools, calling their decision to seek better education for their children while protesting and campaigning for socio-economic reforms hypocritical.

RELATED: SC recognizes danger of 'red-tagging,' says may justify writ of amparo

JUNKED 'RECRUITMENT' ACCUSATIONS

In May 2021, the Department of Justice dismissed kidnapping and child abuse complaints filed against officers of youth activist group Anakbayan, saying a supposedly missing student had left home as an adult. 

Prosecutors also said there was not evidence that the Anakbayan officers had custody of the student.

“Certainly, no evidence was presented showing that Anakbayan is the recruiting arm of or somehow connected to the CPP-NPA,”  the panel of prosecutors said.

“Further, we cannot consider joining and participating in rallies and conducting peaceful assemblies as acts of armed struggle,” they also said.

Similar complaints filed by the police and by the mother of Anakbayan activist Alicia Lucena were dismissed for lack of probable cause and of sufficient grounds in 2020.

The DOJ said then that, based on evidence presented by complainants, “Anakbayan is just a comprehensive national mass organization of the Filipino youth that is advocating for jobs, land reform, education, rights and justice.”

PNP SAYS 'RECRUITMENT' RECORDED IN 102 CAMPUSES 

Police Col. Randy Arceo of the PNP Directorate for Operations told the Senate panel that 36 supposed NPA rebels have been killed in police and military operations, 41 have been arrested and 92 have surrendered.

He said that of "168 accounted personalities”, authorities have identified 102 schools where communist recruitment has happened.

Among those mentioned by the PNP are campuses of the University of the Philippines and Polytechnic University of the Philippines and of the Ateneo university system and De La Salle University, as well as several state universities and public high schools.

Broken down, he said, the PNP has recorded 11 “recruitment activities” in elementary schools, 34 in high schools, and 123 in colleges and universities.

Lawyer Peter Lloyd Carpio of the Commission on Higher Education's Legal and Legislative Service assured the panel that the agency is working with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict to address the matter.

Dela Rosa said that teachers may be behind the recruitment, but Carpio said CHED hasn’t “initiated any investigation against a particular faculty member.“ 

Responding to dela Rosa, UP Diliman Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jerwin Agpaoa said the university tries its best to monitor student activities.

"We have organizations that operate underground — those who don't wish to be recognized. I remember this from a frat-related violence in one university …where I think the member was part of an organization that was not duly-accredited," Agpaoa said. 

Lawyer Nellie Jo Aujero-Regalado of UP Visayas said the university has a close relationship with all stakeholders, including the NTF-ELCAC.

"The current status of UP Visayas — if you will note, UP Visayas is not one of those institutions mentioned by the good colonel earlier,” Regalado said.

"In fact, po, in 2021 the NTFELCAC visited our campus and we held discussions with them on how we can collaborate and address the concerns of the government with regards to terrorism,” she also said.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: AFP apologizes over false list of supposed NPA rebels

PRIVATE SCHOOLS: WE ARE AGAINST VIOLENCE

Rev. Fr. Albert Delvo of the Coordinating  Council of Private Education Association of the Philippines, Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines and Manila Ecclesiastical Province School Systems Association, maintained that their colleges, universities and schools are not recruitment centers for extremism and violent movements.

He said that although the reports of recruitment activities have to be validated, the few colleges and universities mentioned represent a “minimal aberration or deviation in regard to what is normal.”

He added that the private and Catholic schools appeal against the use of violence.

“Our schools colleges and universities very clearly [say] no to violence, no to extremism and terrorism, no to red-tagging and no to violation of human rights." 

National Youth Commission Chairperson Ronald Cardema for his part flagged the existence of already scrapped accords that govern the entry of state forces into UP and PUP campus, claiming this is being abused by communist rebels.

RELATED: New defense chief Gibo won't back calls to revive UP-DND accord

Bobby and Ruth Sabellano of the Hands Off Our Children Movement meanwhile called for their child, whom they said have been recruited by communists, to come home.

“’Nak, sa mga oras na ito, kung kami'y naririnig mo… Kung nakikita mo kami…’di kami galit ni papa mo. Ang gusto lang namin ay bumalik ka sa amin," Ruth Sabellano said in tears.

(If you can hear us, if you can see us… We are not mad at you, we just want you to come home)